Sin and Shinn
by Kiheada.Ray.T
Summary: Shinn is a naughty boy as Cagalli discovers. Can she turn him good or will he reject her? Does she even want to turn him good? CxS, C2 community fic. Psalm 119- Sin and Shin. Deals with the Seven Deadly Sins. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1: Pride

**Sin and Shinn**

**Chapter 1: Pride**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Psalm 119, only the plot of this story based off a small section of it. The characters belong to the creators of Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.

_This is a C2 Community fic for Akatsuki Impulse. Deals with the Seven Deadly Sins and yes it's based off Sin and Shin of Psalm 119 in the Bible. Set during Destiny after the war because I'm tired of doing battle scenes (slight AU I suppose)._

* * *

Shinn smirked as he blew away more mobile suits. He was the ultimate Mobile Suit Pilot. Better than Kira Yamato, better than Athrun Zala, better than any of those stupid fools. He could take all of them on with his hands behind his back!

Okay, so maybe he'd need his hands to steer, but still, they were all chumps compared to him.

"I see you like the new Flight Simulator, Shinn."

He scowled and rolled his eyes before turning to see Cagalli Ula Attha, the supposed "Princess of ORB" yet she was too busy trying to prove how manly she was to run her country.

"What do you want?" he growled, reminding himself she was the weakest member of the group he hated, and he smirked again.

She frowned. "I was just trying to be friendly, jeez Mr. Attitude Problem, sorry for interrupting your little rage session." She replied angrily.

"Tch, stop trying to be friends with me, Attha, you know how much I despise you and your so-called 'neutral' country." He spat.

"Ugh, like I care whether you like me or not you little brat!" she yelled and stormed off.

"I can run a country better than you any day 'Princess'!" he called after her, laughing.

She screamed profanities of which he just continued laughing at and left. He turned back to the simulator and saw that he was close to beating Kira's score, so he continued playing.

Shinn knew that he was better than those losers. They ran around trying to protect everyone and save everyone when really they just wanted publicity. He was sick of their smug attitudes, thinking they knew everything when really they didn't know anything.

"Aha! Shinn Asuka is now seated at his rightful place as Highest Scorer! Beat that Zala!" he shouted when he beat Kira's score.

"Must you be so loud and annoying, Asuka?" Athrun asked as he strutted in. Shinn scowled again and leered at him.

"Must you scare me with your face all the time, Zala?" Shinn replied.

Athrun rolled his eyes. "You're so childish."

"No I'm not!" Shinn retorted hotly.

"Whatever kid, you should get away from that simulator before you lose any more brain cells." Athrun responded.

"I'd still be smarter than you, blockhead!"

"Only in your dreams, kid."

"Stop calling me kid!"

"Stop acting like one!"

"Will you two shut up! You're always at each other's throats; can't you give it a rest for once?" Luna asked from a simulator down the row from Shinn.

"Why should I when this idiot keeps irritating me?" Shinn replied.

"I'm the idiot? You're the one that spends all your time on a flight simulator while us adults do all the real work!" Athrun snapped.

"Like what, waving at the cameras while you do a little song and dance?" Shinn said.

"What are you talking about?" Athrun asked.

Luna rolled her eyes and got up. She grabbed Shinn's arm and dragged him out of the hangar as he continued to shout obscenities to the FAITH pilot.

"Will you quit dragging me woman!" Shinn shouted and yanked his arm out of her grip.

"You need to stop picking fights with them, Shinn, especially Athrun." She told him sternly.

"If you like him so much why don't you date him instead?" he spat, glaring at his girlfriend.

She gasped. "No! He's dating Cagalli and I only like him as a friend. Wake up Shinn, the war is over so you can stop throwing your little temper tantrums!" she yelled.

"I'm not the one strutting around and showing off like he is!" Shinn replied.

"Well who cares! Jeez you're so angry at everyone I bet you don't even know why!" she shouted.

"Of course I know why, I have plenty of good reasons to hate each and every one of those retards!" he shouted back.

"That's it! If you're gonna keep acting like a jerk then we're through! You and your pride need to get a life!" she screamed and walked away.

"Fine then! I don't need you anyway!" he yelled after her. He grumbled as he stalked back to his office.

After the war he decided to stay in the military and they gave him a desk to waste away in, so he spent most of his time in the hangar either training or playing on the Flight Simulator. Athrun and Kira hung around sometimes and annoyed him while Cagalli skipped around neglecting her duties as Representative of ORB to flirt with her would-be boyfriend Athrun.

"I don't need her anyway; I can get any girl I want. I'm a better boyfriend than that freak Zala or that baby Yamato, I can have both their girls wrapped around my finger if I really wanted to." He said to himself.

"Talking to yourself again? You should really stop before they admit you to the Mental Institution, not that you'd probably enjoy being able to give yourself a hug twenty-four/seven." Rey said as he approached him.

Shinn smirked at his friend. "I think I'll pass on the straight-jacket. Besides, I'm not the crazy one, it's Zala and his little groupies. Someone should lock them up in a white padded room before they hurt themselves." He replied.

Rey laughed. "I think you should get out of this place before you start a third war."

"Yeah, this place blows, let's leave." Shinn agreed and followed Rey down the hall.

They passed Kira on the way to the door and the punk had the nerve to smile and wave at Shinn as if they were friends. Shinn gave him a hard look and snorted.

"I don't understand how he can be called a hero, all he does is cry so people can pity him and ignore the fact that he's only useful at annoying people! He's like a cockroach, he won't go away!" Shinn ranted.

"Yeah, it's just the Gundam he pilots, anyone can do that stuff when they have that thing." Rey replied.

"And Zala gets promoted to FAITH just because he didn't get his butt kicked in the last war. He doesn't even do anything! I'd be a lot better FAITH pilot than him! Why can't they promote me?" Shinn asked.

"They're just jealous. They know that if they promote you then Athrun and Kira would throw a hissy fit." Rey answered.

"Yeah, they can't stand to share the spotlight with anyone, they're just attention hogs."

"And you worked your butt off at the Academy while Kira didn't even go to a school! The Captain of the Archangel just took him along because he's a coordinator and could pilot the Freedom better than any natural. Athrun only made it to Elite because his daddy was the Representative of PLANTs." Rey said.

"Exactly! I'm so tired of people like that getting their way while people like us have to work at everything and still get the short end of the stick!" Shinn exclaimed.

"Whatever, maybe they'll be transferred or something." Rey said.

"Yeah or get assassinated." Shinn replied and laughed.

"That's a bit harsh though. They can get kidnapped by Logos or something." Rey said.

"I guess, as long as they're far away from me." Shinn snorted.

Rey chuckled and was about to reply, Shinn turning to him as they were about to exit the building, when Shinn bumped into someone.

Shinn turned back and glared at Cagalli who glared back. "Watch where you're going, blondie." He spat.

"You know, technically I can have you thrown in jail for your smart mouth. You don't have to like me but you at least have to respect me." She replied angrily, fed up with his insolence.

He smirked, "Go ahead and try, I dare you. I've been bored out of my mind in this stupid office, why don't you make things more interesting, huh?"

She resisted the urge to slap him and glanced around to see people staring silently. She took a deep breath and looked him right in the eye.

"One more word and I'll gladly take you up on that dare, Zaft Elite Officer Shinn Asuka. Now get out of my way." She said calmly but with a hint of danger in her eyes.

He glared again and continued walking, shoving the doors open. Rey looked back and shrugged as he followed his angry friend.

Cagalli watched him through the clear glass doors until he disappeared around the corner.

"One day that prideful little brat is going to get killed, if not by me or Athrun, by some random commoner who gets irritated by his attitude. Serves him right." Cagalli grumbled as she continued on her way.

_Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. With Shinn's "haughty eyes" he has six more sins before doomed to eternal damnation, or can someone save his soul before it is too late?_

_You have six more chances to prove yourself, Shinn Asuka, or else karma and fate will intertwine and destroy you._

* * *

**-Author's Note: One down, six more to go! This story will have seven chapters, possibly eight if I do an epilogue of some sort. Please review and tell me what you think, any questions, comments, or critiques are appreciated so feel free to speak your mind! Peace out-**


	2. Chapter 2: Lust

**Chapter 2: Lust**

**Disclaimer:** I only own the plot of this particular fiction and any OCs I may throw in. I resurrected Rey and Stellar for the purposes of this fic. Deal with it.

* * *

Shinn stormed down the sidewalk, a scowl permanently marking his handsome face. Rey strode quietly beside him, glancing at his brooding friend every once in a while.

They ended up at a bar where they usually have lunch or beers after work. It was mostly a military bar, and Shinn would usually bring civilian girls for a good time- until he began dating Luna.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he remembered their argument.

"What?" Rey asked.

"I broke up with Luna."

"Why?"

"She was too clingy, you know? I was getting bored with her anyway; it's about time I found a new girl." Shinn replied nonchalantly.

"I guess, I thought you really liked her though."

"Yeah but like I said, I'm not ready to settle down with anyone, I'm too young for that. I wanna have some more fun first and Luna just wanted to shackle me down with marriage and babies."

"True, you just survived and helped win a war; you deserve a few chicks to stir up trouble with before getting married and having kids. Plus, I don't know how well you'd do with little brats running around screaming." Rey said and smirked at his friend.

Whenever Shinn Asuka encountered little children, it usually didn't go well. Kids were noisy, disobedient, annoying, way too curious, and messy (hey, kinda like Shinn…). While he tried to be nice, he tended to get frustrated after a few minutes. If he had to take care of even one, he would go insane.

"I'm glad I broke it off before I got her knocked up, that would have been bad." He confessed.

"Yeah, I can just imagine." Rey said and started laughing. Shinn punched him in the arm lightly and rolled his eyes.

"So, do you see any girls here worth your interest?" Rey asked after a moment. The bartender handed them drinks and they waited to order lunch. Shinn glanced around.

"Not really, besides Luna and Meyrin, most of the military chicks are too butch. I kinda wanna try a civilian on for size." Shinn told him.

"What about that Stellar girl, you know the Extended from EA? You risked your neck for her; do you know what happened to her?" Rey asked as he remembered the incident.

"Not really, I thought her and Kira got in a fight, besides, what would she be doing here?" the other asked.

"I'm not sure, but she is." Rey said and glanced from Shinn to a girl sitting by herself in the far corner of the bar.

The blonde hair reminded him of Cagalli, but he knew that Stellar wasn't as moody or annoying as the Princess. In fact, the natural was more of a wildcat than a tomboy.

Shinn grinned and nodded to Rey before getting up and strutting over to her.

"Hey, been a while." He said in a husky voice. She looked up and saw his grin and gasped, smiling wide.

"Shinn!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around him.

"Hey Stellar, I was just wondering about you." He said and hugged her back.

"I was hoping I'd find you around here. Are you busy? Stellar wants to spend time with you like we did when you saved me. I've been thinking about that ever since I got back. I missed you." She said and gave him a sultry look, grinning and giggling.

His grin widened. "Actually I'm just killing time here, wanna come to my place so we can talk?" he asked. He flashed her a sly smile and made sure his eyes were filled with heat.

She giggled. "And do other things Stellar likes to do. Yes I want to come with you." She said and walked with him, arm in his, out of the bar.

He winked at Rey on his way out who winked back.

"Lucky punk."

They started making out the second they reached his apartment and stumbled through the rooms until they got to his bedroom and onto his bed. He snatched a condom out of his dresser and thought to himself that breaking up with Luna was the best thing he ever did.

* * *

"Where's Shinn? He left an hour ago, he can't just leave whenever he wants to, there's paperwork he still needs to fill out from yesterday!" Cagalli said when she approached Athrun.

"I'm not sure, probably getting drunk or being reckless, isn't that what he usually does on his lunch-break?" Athrun asked.

"I suppose, but he at least gets his ass back here in a timely manner. I know he hates his job but he doesn't have to be a child about it." She seethed.

"Don't tell me, he never listens when I try to teach him something or give him advice. I give up. He'll learn one day, probably the hard way."

"I know, I just wish he'd act his age for once." Cagalli growled.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Attha, I'm here. I'm just _so_ glad you missed me." Shinn said in a sardonic tone as he strutted past.

"Where were you?" she asked, infuriated and trying not to blush. She was actually wearing a thong because she forgot to do laundry (or so she says).

"Screwing a blonde natural way hotter than you." He said and winked.

"Ugh! So that's what you do on your lunch-break! What about your girlfriend Lunamaria?" she said in disgust.

"We broke up, she couldn't handle me." Shinn replied and shrugged, smirking.

"I'm sure she broke up with you because she was tired of your attitude, and you're close to being fired if you pull that stunt again." She snapped and left.

Athrun and Shinn both glanced at her retreating form (a.k.a butt) as she stormed down the hall. They glanced at each other and Shinn looked away, pretending to puke.

"So who's the blonde hotter than Cagalli?" Athrun asked.

"Why should I tell you? You get that firecracker, I'm not touching it."

"That 'it' is actually more of a tigress, although firecracker is also a good term." Athrun replied and wiggled his eyebrows.

Shinn shook his head, "We both know you've never tapped that so don't even try. You probably wouldn't be able to handle her, if she even let you touch her."

"Actually she does let me touch her; she just won't let _you _touch her."

"Yeah right, she can't ignore my sexiness she's just angry I don't like her back." Shinn snorted.

"Uh huh, sure." Athrun replied in a disbelieving tone as he rolled his eyes.

Shinn shot him a glare and looked at the stack of papers on his desk.

"Hey, when did this get bigger? This stack was only two inches high and now it's five!" Shinn exclaimed.

Athrun smirked. "That was why Cagalli was over here, she was delivering your paperwork for today, and also you have a meeting around…now." He said as he glanced at his watch.

"What! What meeting?" Shinn exclaimed.

"The one Cagalli told us about at the beginning of the week when you were doodling on your notepad. She reminded us the other day when she came down, don't you remember? Oh yeah! You were asleep because you went out partying the night before." Athrun said, grinning. He enjoyed tormenting Shinn…just a little.

Shinn gave an exasperated sigh. "Well where is it and who with?"

"The main office with the Chairman of PLANT and Zaft General. Each one of us has a mandatory meeting to evaluate our performance post-war and decide what to do about our future plans with the military." Athrun told him.

Shinn's mouth dropped open and he stood staring for a few minutes, not comprehending what Athrun was telling him.

"You know they won't be very happy if you're late, and it's already on the other side of the building, you should hurry before they decide to just fire you." Athrun suggested.

Shinn cursed and ran down the hall, grabbing his file as he rushed to the meeting that would decide his future.

Athrun's chuckle exploded into laughter as he watched the younger man sprint down the hall without his military jacket which he most likely left at his apartment. Kira walked by and gave him an odd look, and he explained the incident.

"I hope they don't fire him." Kira said.

"What do you mean? He's miserable here, hates everyone, and everyone hates him. Honestly he would be better off just to get fired or quit." Athrun replied.

"I don't hate him, yeah he can be irritating, but to discharge him from the military? He won't be able to rejoin, and he'll have to find another job. All he has is the Academy schooling; he'll have to go to a regular college to find another career." Kira told him with a concerned look.

Athrun sighed. "You take the fun out of everything. Of course he won't get fired for being late and not having his jacket, but he's on thin ice, and this meeting should help get him back on track. I'm sure he won't have to go through too much to find a new job, Zaft will assist in finding something he's skilled at."

"Oh, I was taking it too seriously wasn't I?" Kira replied with a sheepish grin.

"No, but he needs to look at it that way and he doesn't. This is a free ride to him; he doesn't realize he has nothing else."

Kira nodded somberly and glanced at the office across from Athrun's, Shinn's office.

* * *

Shinn let out a sigh of relief after an hour of talking with the Chairman of PLANT and the Zaft General. The meeting had been a little stressful especially at the beginning, and it didn't help that Cagalli was there to monitor, not that she really needed to be. Since ORB was neutral and the war was over, both PLANT and the Earth Alliance allowed ORB officials to have access to military information- and command over military personnel.

He still had his job and sanity, all that was really said was that he needed to take it more seriously. He was a soldier, but there was no war, this was all he could do now. He didn't like it, but he had to accept it.

He walked back to his office and groaned at the paperwork still lying on his desk. It was a few inches taller again.

He sat down, cracked his knuckles, stretched his arms, and got to work. Athrun gave him an odd look, but Shinn ignored him. He worked. Not often and not without complaint, but he worked.

When he finally got the paperwork done he got up and stretched again, happy that he accomplished something. He walked out of his office and started down the hall.

"You done already?" Athrun called.

"Yep, see you later, loser." Shinn replied and laughed. As he rounded a corner he saw Luna talking with her sister Meyrin, and his grin faded. The girl glanced at him and glared before turning back. He rolled his eyes and walked past, glancing back and catching Meyrin's eye.

He bumped into someone again and looked to see it was Cagalli…again.

"Shinn you really need to walk with your head facing forward, not backward or to the side." Cagalli said, stepping aside.

"You bumped into me! Maybe _you_ need to pay attention." He replied.

"Whatever Shinn, have you finished the paperwork?" she asked.

"Yep! I'm off to get some training in and then I'm out of this place." He answered.

"You should work on watching where you're going, seems like you need some training in that area." She commented and shrugged past him.

He glared at her back and then his gaze moved downward, the grin returning.

"Face the front, Asuka!" Cagalli yelled when she noticed him staring. He laughed which made her flush a deeper shade of red as she hurried down the hall and rounded a corner.

He entered the training room and saw others he knew lifting weights, going into the gun range, or practicing hand-to-hand combat with each other. He went into the locker room and changed into his training clothes (gym shorts and a loose red shirt) and then picked up some weights.

After a while Meyrin came in and caught his eye again. She entered the female locker room and changed into her training clothes as well (tight, short shorts and a training bra) and also chose to start with the weights.

Most of the others began leaving, heading for the showers and then waving as they left to go home or finish work. When it was just them, Shinn smirked and put his weights down, and Meyrin did the same. She grinned and took his hand as he led them into the showers as they started making out and stripping. They laughed when one of them slipped or had a hard time getting their clothes off and Shinn turned on the water, making sure it was hot.

The steam fogged the shower room and mirrors, mixing with their sweat and the water.

This had been going on for a while, even when Shinn and Luna were dating. He would often make-out with Meyrin in an abandoned hall or have casual sex some nights when Luna wasn't putting out as much as Shinn wanted. While there were not romantic feelings between them, they were both happy. Shinn liked Luna but liked sex more, Meyrin liked Athrun but Shinn was more available (or at least not as noble and more of a rogue). They both enjoyed the danger and the pleasure and neither would tell a soul. It was strictly casual and unattached, and no one was the wiser.

Afterwards they got dressed and made-out one last time before departing a few minutes from each other, so no one would suspect what was really going on. Shinn went back to his office and gathered his things before heading out. He stopped by Rey's office and then they both headed for the doors.

"So how was Stellar? Is she doing well?" Rey asked.

"She was…stellar," Shinn replied and laughed. "She was in town looking for me, she got a hotel but she'll most likely be staying with me. This ought to make Luna see she should have kept me while she had me."

"Are you going to start dating Stellar, or Meyrin?" Rey asked. He knew about his friend's relationship to the Hawke sister, but he wasn't likely to tell anyone.

"Probably Stellar, if I even want to start dating again. Girlfriends are a hassle, casual sex and hanging out is more fun and relaxing, I don't have to worry about going on dates or buying them gifts or even caring about them. Besides, Meyrin has her sights set on Athrun, but Athrun is head over heels for Cagalli. And of course Cagalli is set on keeping everything businesslike. I know they go on dates and stuff, but nothing's real official. Not that I even care." Shinn replied.

"Yeah, that's a lost cause. I'm sure Luna will get jealous if you started dating again, especially if it's a natural. Especially if she looks like Cagalli." Rey responded nonchalantly.

"Stellar looks nothing like Cagalli, the only thing they have in common is hair color. And possibly IQ." Shinn grunted.

"Cagalli's a lot smarter than you give her credit for, but their body types are similar. Plus they're both naturals. They're the same height except for an inch, well-endowed, crazy…" Rey said.

"Why are you comparing them? Rey you're freaking me out, do you have a thing for Attha or something?" Shinn asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"No, but I think _you_ do. That's why you annoy her all the time and go out of your way to embarrass her or harass her. You respect and look up to Athrun but treat him like dirt too, it means you care." Rey replied theatrically and avoided a punch in the face.

"You're wrong and you've been reading into my rants too much." Shinn grumbled.

"Oh come on, you know I'm right. The only reason why you don't treat me like crap is because you know I don't give a crap. But you have the hots for Cagalli, because you never look at her face when she's talking to you, and when you do it's only to watch her lips as they move when she's yelling at you. Plus that's why you're even angrier at Athrun because even though nothing's official everyone knows they're together. Also another reason why you're screwing Meyrin on the side but would never date her, so she can have a chance at Athrun so you can have a chance at Cagalli." Rey told him.

Shinn shot him a crazed look. "I hang out with you way too much. Freak."

"I'm not going to be sad because I know it really means you love me." Rey replied and laughed when Shinn yelled and pushed him away.

"You're so creepy! Get a girlfriend already!" he exclaimed and got in his car.

"But I only have eyes for you, Shinn Asuka! You're such a hunk and so brave!" Rey called jokingly and laughed again. A few bystanders looked at him oddly but he ignored them.

Shinn shook his head as he sped down the street, smiling at his friend's awkwardness. They joked around often although Rey was usually serious and quiet, but whenever he said something he was right, and Shinn knew it.

He reached his apartment and saw Stellar sitting on his couch with just his shirt on. She smiled and jumped on him when she saw him, but all he could think of was the other blonde who was too uptight to take a joke.

Shinn Asuka had a crush on Cagalli Ula Attha.

_Lust is another Deadly Sin, already with haughty eyes and now being "a false witness who pours out lies", Shinn has committed two of the Seven Deadly Sins._

_You have five more chances to prove yourself, or you won't have to worry about your future or who to date next, Shinn Asuka._

* * *

**-Author's Note: Yes some people are OOC but honestly I can see this happening, except for maybe Rey having a sense of humor or Athrun being so wicked…Anyways! Please comment and tell me what you think, ideas and critiques are appreciated!-**


	3. Chapter 3: Envy

**Chapter 3: Envy**

**Disclaimer:** I only own OCs, if there are any, and the…plot…of this particular fanfiction.

* * *

Shinn woke up next to Stellar, who was sleeping soundly with her back to him. He glanced at his clock and groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. He heard Stellar shift and opened his eyes to see Cagalli.

He sat up and held in a surprised exclamation. Stellar was still sleeping, curling onto her side. He sighed and hopped out of the bed, grabbing his clothes from the dresser before going into the bathroom. He went through his normal routine and checked on Stellar before leaving.

* * *

As he drove to the cursed hell-hole that was his workplace, he couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Rey, and all the times he'd bumped into Cagalli and accidentally touched a part of her that Athrun barely got to look at…

He shook his head to shake those thoughts but they kept coming back. Did he ever really look at her face? Is it just lust? Curiosity? Masochism?

He parked in his usual spot (Athrun's) and debated going back home. He shook his head again. He'd just ignore her like always, no need to act like a pansy. He had Meyrin to bang in the hallway and Stellar to bang at his apartment, and he would probably get Luna back one way or the other anyway. He didn't need or want Cagalli Attha.

Yet he still wanted more.

He stepped out of his newly designed Camaro and glanced at Athrun's Corvette. He remembered a friend from high school who taught him how to hotwire a car without making any noise and grinned at the look on Athrun's face if he noticed his treasured car was missing.

He kept grinning as he walked to his desk and was even happier since he didn't bump into Cagalli. His grin faltered after seeing the new mound of paperwork and he slumped onto his seat. He sighed and started getting to work. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could leave, the sooner he could party and get this whole day behind him.

"Oh look, he's on time today. I guess that meeting finally woke you up, Asuka."

He froze and his eyes widened but he quickly returned to normal to glare up at Cagalli who was smirking at his doorframe.

"You don't give me enough credit, it's not like I never do work and am always late." He grumbled.

"Usually, just not all the time apparently." She joked.

He scowled and went back to work, reminding himself that as long as he stayed mad the thought that he could possibly like her would remain far away.

"Sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." Cagalli murmured to Athrun as she sipped her coffee.

Shinn's head shot up and he contemplated shoving the coffee all over that newly washed white suit, and then thought of how it would get her white shirt wet and stained, as well as see-through. She would have to take it off and change into a new one…

'_Shit! Quit thinking about that stuff!' _he yelled at himself and ignored her comment.

Athrun and Cagalli glanced at Shinn's silent form disbelievingly and glanced at each other, surprised. Cagalli shrugged and smiled, thinking that she would have a peaceful day at work for once.

* * *

After an hour of working Shinn stood and stretched, already wanting to go back home and sleep…or bang Stellar again. He glanced at the rest of the work then headed out of his office to find his friend Rey.

"Hey, is Stellar still staying with you?" Rey asked when he found him in his office.

"Yeah, at least she was when I left. I'm not sure how long she's staying here for." Shinn replied.

"You didn't ask her last night?" Rey asked.

"No, I was too busy screwing her." Shinn answered and grinned. He noticed Lunamaria staring at him from across the hall; her office was near Rey's. She had heard the whole thing. He smirked at her and she glared before going back to her work.

Rey glanced from the two of them and leaned closer to Shinn. "Are you and Luna gonna get back together if she ends up leaving in a few days?"

"It depends on if Luna wants to apologize and can handle this." Shinn replied loudly while gesturing at himself. The girl glared up at him again so he smirked again, enjoying being a pain in her ass.

"I don't have to apologize for anything, Asuka; you're the one with the attitude problem!" she said heatedly.

"You didn't have a problem with it the other day when you were sleeping in my bed!" he shouted, getting angry as well.

Luna blushed and growled. "This isn't the time or place to even talk about this, you inconsiderate jerk!" she yelled.

"It's not my fault you're high maintenance! If you didn't like me so much why'd you scream my name so loud the neighbors had to call the cops the last time we had sex huh? You're just jealous I can get any girl I want and no one pays attention to you." Shinn yelled back.

Luna gasped and stood, about to punch him when she suddenly stopped and saluted. He raised his eyebrows and was nudged by Rey so he turned to see Cagalli glaring at him.

"What do _you_ want?" he snarled.

"I want you to return to your office and stop causing trouble before I have you suspended." She replied in a low, authoritative tone.

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not the one causing trouble; she just started yelling at me."

"I did not! You were bragging about having sex with some random girl you probably picked up last night at the bar!" Luna replied.

"It wasn't a random girl it was a girl I know very well. What's the matter Luna, you jealous?" he asked.

"Enough! I heard the whole thing. Both of you were displaying inappropriate work behavior, talking about sex at work is something I would expect from an immature young teenager, not Zaft war veterans." Cagalli said sharply before Luna could reply.

Luna looked down. "I'm sorry ma'am, it will not happen again." She mumbled.

Cagalli turned to Shinn who snorted, glanced at Rey and shrugged, then walked off. Cagalli closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She glanced at Rey who quickly went back to work and then walked up to Luna.

"I will make sure he understands not to talk that way or act that way at work. Just ignore him and he'll leave you alone." She replied and smiled.

Luna half-smiled back. "It doesn't work for you, though. He's always been like that; it's just gotten worse over the years. He's been through a lot but he isn't handling it very well." She replied.

"Yes well, don't worry about me, I can handle him. If he starts anything with you again or tries to hurt you let me know okay?"

"I will, and thank you." Luna replied and went back to her office.

* * *

Shinn walked to his office, looked inside to see the paperwork lying on his desk, then took off towards the hangar.

'_Why is she the Representative of ORB? She doesn't deserve it, she doesn't even want it. She has no idea what to do with her power and has no control over anyone. I would be a better Representative, if I even wanted to be one. They probably wouldn't want me though, because I'd be too good for them and the stupid council wouldn't be able to control me like they do her. I wish I had more power so I wouldn't have to deal with this crap. I don't need this; I don't want to waste my life away in a cubicle while other people are doing something! I'm a war veteran for crying out loud! I deserve and should have a lot more than this; I should be treated like a king!' _he thought angrily.

He entered the hangar and walked to his Gundam, Impulse. He thought about all the battles he fought in, all the accomplishments he's made. "It's all for nothing. I risked my life for nothing."

He went up into the cockpit and looked over all the controls, put his hands on the levers and touched the screen. Flashes of his battles kept appearing in his mind. He wanted more than this. He deserved more than this.

He sighed and got out of his cockpit. He wasn't allowed to use his Gundam, since they were no longer at war. The closest he could come to fighting was the flight simulator. He got in one and started it up, wanting to relieve some steam.

He didn't notice Cagalli come in and get in the simulator across from him. He was playing a regular game when a live opponent came in and it became a one-on-one battle. He was winning at first and then started taking hits until he was finally destroyed. He stared at the screen with wide eyes and gaping mouth as his high score was being replaced by…

"Cagalli!" he exclaimed as he read his opponents name.

"You have too little faith in me. Just because I'm a natural doesn't mean I don't know how to pilot a Gundam. Remember I actually fought in the wars." She said from beside him.

He got out of the flight simulator and regarded her warily. "Congratulations, you ruined my day and killed my buzz. Were you not done yelling at me or something?" he asked.

"We need to talk." She stated.

"We are talking."

"In my office."

"Why?"

"Because your attitude is affecting your work and other people's and that needs to be corrected. Follow me, and don't even think about staring at my ass." She told him.

"Why would I stare at your ass, you don't even have one!" he said as she turned to walk away.

"Then what were you looking at the other day after you bumped into me? Obviously there's something there that interests you." She replied.

His mouth snapped shut and he glared at the ground as he followed her to her office.

She sat at her desk and he sat in the chair opposite her and slouched down, wanting to get this over with.

"Please sit up straight and at least pretend you're mature." She said. He glared but sat up straight. "Thank you. I know you don't like working here, and honestly I don't like it either, but it's the only thing we can do while in the military right now. The war is over, but there's still paperwork to be done. Your meeting went well and you seemed interested in staying with the military, but if you've changed your mind I'm sure we can arrange something else for you." She began.

"I want to stay, I just feel useless sitting in a cubicle stamping papers. I want to do something. Can't you deploy me to PLANT?" he asked.

She hesitated. "I could, but that would take time and I would have to figure out where to place you, unless the Zaft Chairman has a place open. There's not much to do up there either."

He sighed and crossed his arms.

"Look, I know you've been through a lot and you're miserable, but you can't let that affect you here. I can't have you yelling at everyone and pissing everyone off. You know not to talk about sex in the office, especially not to another coworker and especially not about another coworker. Luna could use sexual harassment against you and also slander for all the things you were yelling about earlier. If you keep getting into trouble you're going to be discharged and jobless and I know that's not what you want. Please try to behave and I'll leave you alone, but if we have to have this talk again I'm afraid there will be consequences." She explained.

"I'm not intentionally trying to get in trouble. And she did start it. But that's beside the point, if you'd quit bothering me I wouldn't be as angry or prone to inappropriate behavior." He replied.

"I 'bother' you so you'll get some work done." She responded.

"Maybe I don't get work done because you bother me."

She sighed. "Shinn, just stay out of trouble and do what you're getting paid for, alright? If I hear of even one more situation where you're disturbing someone or have one more misstep I'll lower your position and you'll be even more miserable. And yes, I can do that. You're in ORB, that means I'm your boss at work and out of work, do you understand?"

He remained quiet and glared at her for a moment. "Fine. Just stay away from me and I'll be good."

"Fine, be good and I'll stay away from you."

They stood and saluted and then Shinn left.

"What was that about?" Rey asked when he stepped into Shinn's office later on.

"Tch, she was being Miss Big Boss. 'Stay out of trouble and I'll leave you alone' she kept saying. I only get in trouble when she's around." He exclaimed.

"Maybe you like getting into trouble, I mean, you're a bad boy, you don't like following the rules, it's just the way you are. She knew this during the war; I don't see how she expected you to act any different, especially since you have less ways to express your anger now that the war is over.

"Either that or you just like her yelling at you, maybe you're one of those guys who likes a controlling woman, a chick who bosses them around and dresses up in black leather to whip them." Rey replied.

Shinn gave him an odd look, unable to speak for a moment. Rey shrugged nonchalantly.

"Dude, no. What's with you and this idea that I have a thing for her? If I liked her I would have banged her already! And you know that I hate it when she yells at me like some dog, I can't stand women who boss me around, I can't stand anyone who bosses me around." He finally answered.

"Well, she's quite a challenge. Usually girls swoon over you and practically jump into your arms; she doesn't do that, so you don't know how to approach her because if you used any cheesy pick up lines she'd probably punch you in the face. Plus Athrun's staked his claim on her, and everyone knows that what Athrun has you want. It isn't enough for you to have Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar all over you. You want what you can't have." Rey replied.

"Quit doing that!" Shinn said.

"Doing what?"

"Being so deep and shit! You're freaking me out with all this philosophical talk, how do you even know this anyway?" Shinn exclaimed.

"You're very easy to read, everyone knows how you feel because you express yourself." Rey shrugged.

"Well can you not blab my secrets to everyone? Maybe I should just stop hanging out with you." Shinn said with narrowed eyes.

"Then who would you rant to all the time? Come on Shinn, you know that no one else can tolerate you because they don't understand you and think you're just being a whiny brat. I'm the only friend you have here." Rey told him.

"What? Nuh uh, I have plenty of other friends." Shinn said with his grin. Rey raised his eyebrows and the grin faltered again. "Yeah you're right, no one else can handle this awesomeness, they're all losers." He joked.

"Maybe if you would quit being a jerk you'd have more friends. Just a thought, I don't care either way, but a lot of people don't like to hear someone else tooting their own horn, whether they deserve it or not." Rey commented and walked away.

Shinn sat back in his chair and sighed. He glanced across his desk and saw a picture of him and Lunamaria, happily holding each other. He thought about finding Meyrin, but knew that it wouldn't really make up for anything. He wanted Luna.

He thought about their conversation earlier, well, their argument. He thought about how they had some good times, but mostly they were yelling at each other. He thought about how unhappy he was whenever they weren't having sex, and how he didn't always feel satisfied afterwards.

He realized he wanted more.

A challenge, like Rey said. Someone who has already been claimed. Someone that isn't as easily wooed as other girls. Someone who had the power that he sought. Someone who could keep up with him and wasn't high maintenance.

He wanted Cagalli.

He snorted in unbelief and got up. He glanced down the hallway and saw Athrun and Cagalli chatting and laughing.

He wanted that.

He saw men walking around with medals and high ranks, bragging about the trophy wife and sexy mistress they had at home in their pricey mansions they hardly lived in. He saw successful women who were at the height of their career, not needing a man or a family to be happy.

He wanted that success. He wanted the trophy wife and mistress, he wanted the medals and ranking, he wanted the mansions and beach houses and cars.

But would that really make him happy?

He glanced back at Athrun and Cagalli, two people who were born rich and practically famous, two people who seemed to have it all, yet he knew that neither of them was happy in their mansions with their cars, having all that stuff didn't fulfill them.

Cagalli laughed and smiled, closing her amber eyes and shaking her golden hair.

He blinked and shook himself. _'I'm happy the way I am, I don't need anything else, except maybe a more interesting job. I don't need her. Athrun can have her.' _He thought to himself.

She turned and noticed him, her smile faltering a bit to a disappointed look, then she half-smiled and turned back to Athrun, who also glanced at Shinn.

"Hey Shinn, whatcha lookin' at?" Meyrin asked from behind him.

He turned and smiled. "Just those two being annoying as usual."

"Yeah, they just sit there and laugh and dangle themselves in front of everyone's faces. I mean look at Athrun, he can have anyone and he chooses the tomboy who doesn't even know how to be flirtatious and girly." Mey replied and pouted.

"Yeah, you're more his type anyway, or at least you could be his mistress on the side." He joked and she mock-punched him.

"I'm too classy to be the mistress, I may be flirty but I'm not a whore. Trust me; if I was getting paid I wouldn't need to come here every day." She replied.

He chuckled. Meyrin glared at Athrun and Cagalli, and Shinn watched her. She sighed and got a melancholy, depressed look.

"Why can't people just get what they want? Why does it always have to be like this?" she asked.

"I don't know, and I don't really care either." He replied.

"So, do you wanna do our usual sneaking around?" she asked.

"Is that really what you want right now?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Then no."

She nodded. "Well, see you tomorrow then."

"Bye." He said and watched her leave.

He finished his work and then left as well, feeling depressed after his conversation with Meyrin and Rey.

When he walked into his apartment Stellar was cooking dinner. She smiled when he walked inside.

"Wow, you made this for us?" he asked, not expecting her to do anything like this.

"Yeah silly, Stellar and Shinn are boyfriend and girlfriend now, girlfriends do nice things for their boyfriends, and boyfriends return the favor." She giggled.

He was caught off-guard. _'Did I ask her out? I don't remember asking her to be my girlfriend. Maybe she thinks that since we slept together that we're together now. I guess she doesn't know what casual relationships are.' _He thought and smiled back.

"Well thanks, I didn't expect this, I was just gonna grab some fast food or something if you wanted." He said.

"Stellar wanted to surprise you with a home-cooked meal." She replied and kissed him.

He grinned and sat down, amazed. They laughed and talked throughout dinner and then went to sleep, too full and tired to do anything else but cuddle.

But the whole time he was thinking about Cagalli, and imagining her in Stellar's place.

_Envy, a powerful sin, and deadly. With haughty eyes, being a false witness, and adding "a man who stirs up dissension among brothers" to your lifestyle, you have only four more chances to prove that the path you have chosen is not the wrong one._

_Be wise in these next decisions, Shinn, or your budding life may be cut down short, at the height of your prime._

* * *

**-Author's Note: Rey is still OOC a little, but I see him as the philosophical person who doesn't really care but is very insightful, and also the person who, because he doesn't care, can put up with Shinn's crap. Our boy has finally really admitted that he has a crush on Cagalli, or is it more than a crush? And what does Cagalli think on the issue? Why am I asking you? Please comment and let me know how you feel, any questions, concerns, or ideas are welcome. Critiques are always helpful as long as they aren't flames, because summer is here.-**


	4. Chapter 4: Anger

**Chapter 4: Anger**

**Disclaimer:** I only own the OCs and particular –plot- of this fanfiction.

* * *

Shinn sped down the road, weaving in and out of traffic and only getting angrier as he heard the horns protesting his dangerous driving. He woke up yet again thinking of Cagalli, and he was sick of it.

He was pissed at Rey for bringing it up and making him think he had a crush on his boss. He hated Cagalli, he hated her before the war, he hated her during the war, and he hates her now. There's no way he has a crush on her, she's not even that pretty!

He was furious that he was wasting his time thinking about the irritating blonde when he had a girl like Stellar waiting for him at his apartment. He didn't want or need a challenge when it came to girls, he didn't want Cagalli just because Athrun had her.

He was also angry at the fact that Luna hasn't rushed back into his arms, but instead, she had the nerve to yell at him and be angry with _him_! He was the best thing she ever had! While he didn't really want to get back with her, especially now that Stellar was in the picture, he expected her to beg for his forgiveness and ask to take her back, so he could say no. The fact that she still blames him and is far from begging forgiveness irritated him, because she's always done that before.

'_Where did she get this backbone? Why doesn't she realize that she needs me? Who else will put up with her whining and constant shopping?' _he asked himself.

He sped faster, ignoring his speedometer. He didn't necessarily want to get to work on time, he just wanted to go fast and fill the exhilaration and the engine pumping through his veins as it roared down the street.

Louder than the roar of his engine, however, was the siren of a cop car.

He cursed and slowed down, checking his rearview mirror to see that the cop was clearly after him and signaling for him to pull over.

"Great, just what I need." He muttered and pulled off to the side.

His adrenaline and anger were meshing and coursing throughout his body as he reached over to grab his license and registration, knowing the cop would ask for that anyway.

The older man strode over and Shinn rolled down the window, trying to calm his breathing. He handed the items over without saying a word, and the cop looked a bit surprised as he took it and looked everything over.

"You were going a bit fast in this area." He commented.

"Late for work." He replied, trying not to sound impatient or as angry as he felt. He figured if he didn't talk too much and kept the answers short and simple, he wouldn't say something to shove his foot in his mouth.

"Uh huh, and now you might be even later now won't you? Next time, just go the speed limit okay?" the cop replied as he wrote out the ticket.

"Yeah."

The cop glanced at him, pausing as he wrote, and examined Shinn's face. "Is something wrong?" he drawled.

Shinn hesitated. "No."

"No what?"

"No sir." He replied through clenched teeth. He could tell that it was going to be a rough day.

The cop sighed. "You do realize how dangerous it is to go 100mph in a 65, right? I saw you cutting people off and squealing your tires as you rode bumpers. You could have easily caused a major crash. I hope next time you'll be more careful."

"I will…sir." Shinn replied.

The cop hesitated before handing back Shinn's license and insurance information, as well as the ticket. He shook his head as he walked back to his car.

Shinn took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them and examined the damage.

A loud obscenity escaped and he fought the urge to punch his steering wheel. He saw the cop drive by who was looking at him in that same, calculating look and resisted the urge to flip him off.

He flung the papers onto his passenger seat and drove out into traffic, checking his rearview mirror and glancing at his speedometer from time-to-time.

* * *

When he finally arrived at work he had to park in his own spot since Athrun was already there. He liked taking Athrun's spot because it irritated the bluenette even though he had given up on confronting Shinn about it, plus it was closer to the doors.

He slammed his door when he got out and walked quickly inside, not wanting to bump into Cagalli or have a confrontation with her because he was still furious about the whole thing.

While he passed without incident and made it to his office without seeing her or Athrun (or even Kira, which was also good), it didn't take long for her to show up in his doorframe with an expectant look.

"I don't get it Shinn, you were perfectly on time yesterday, now you're ten minutes late. Are you just that obsessed with breaking all the rules and pissing me off?" she asked sarcastically, obviously not having a good day herself.

He sighed. "I got a speeding ticket, or else I would have been ten minutes early." He grumbled.

"Really? You were actually _trying_ to get here _early_ this time? Wow, I'm impressed." She replied.

"I wasn't trying to get here early I was just pissed off and wanted to go fast. Can you leave me alone so I can do my work?"

"I said I would leave you alone unless you got into trouble. Obviously you got into trouble." She answered smartly.

He glared up at her. "Ten minutes late is hardly cause for you to annoy me when I'm already frustrated. Just yell at me and get it over with." He snapped.

"My, my, you _are_ touchy today. Fine, don't be late again or you'll have to work extra overtime. And also, you have to pay that fine within a month or you'll be suspended." was her response as she sauntered away.

"What! What do you mean in a month? The ticket says I have 60 days!" he exclaimed. (1) She stopped and turned to him. "Wait, how did you even know how long I had in the first place?"

"The police officer called me when he noticed you were military. I decided to shorten the amount of time so you don't procrastinate or forget about it." She said cheerily and continued walking.

He gaped at her until she disappeared around the corner, then he snapped his jaw shut and glared. There was no way he had a crush on her, especially now.

Athrun whistled with an "oops!" expression, sipping his coffee at his desk across from Shinn.

"Don't start Zala; I'm really not in the mood." Shinn growled.

"I can tell. She's not in the best of moods today as well. You'd think that since today is Friday everyone would be happy, especially you." Athrun commented.

"I've had a bad week, and she isn't making it any better." He grumbled.

"So has she, because of you." Athrun told him.

"What? She's been making my life a miserable hell! Isn't she proud of her handiwork?" Shinn sneered.

Athrun sighed. "She wasn't trying to make you miserable she's just disappointed in you. She expected a lot better from you and you just seem intent on making _her_ life a living hell. Give her a break, she's gone through a lot too you know, and she has bosses of her own giving her a hard time."

"Tch, what you mean those council dweebs? They're only giving her a hard time because she's too weak to stand up to them. Tell her to grow a backbone." He replied.

"It's not that easy, Shinn. They control every move she makes whether she wants them to or not. And she's a lot like you in that she doesn't like it when people boss her around. It's a tricky situation, maybe if you actually understood where she's coming from you would like her better." Athrun said.

"I don't want to like her! I just want her to leave me alone!" he yelled. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

Athrun's eyebrows shot up. "Is there something going on?" he asked curiously.

Shinn glared at him, "No, and I would like to keep it that way." He replied.

"I mean, if you want to talk about something, you can. I know you can't stand me and think I'm this obnoxious pig, but if you need to talk we can talk."

"Zala."

Athrun threw his hands up in surrender and turned his chair back to his desk.

Shinn also returned to his work, although dealing with the paperwork only made him angrier. Then he thought over what Athrun had just said.

'_I'm going to kill Rey.'_

* * *

Cagalli stormed out of the meeting hall, her fists clenched so hard the knuckles were threatening to pierce through the skin. It was another round of "You do this" "You have to do that" "For your people" "Blah, blah, blah" crap. The council members basically forced her to sign an overrated and preposterous bill simply because "it was her duty as Representative of ORB."

"Those bastards are going to get it one day, and where will I be? Laughing my ass off, that's where." She grumbled as she entered her office.

She slammed the paper down and then glanced at a sticky note on her desk.

_Shinn- speeding ticket. Has 30 days to pay or else suspension._

She sighed and sat down, slumping over her desk. Shinn. His very name got her riled up. He made it clear from the first moment they met that he hated her guts. Really, his anger was only directed at her because of something her father (adopted father, nonetheless) did for his country. It wasn't her fault ORB councilmen and women made some bad choices, it wasn't her fault they were forced to join the Earth Alliance, and it wasn't her fault his family got killed by Kira's stray bullet.

'_He's angry and wants someone to blame, but he doesn't dare look at himself. He hates me and Kira because we were all victims of an unforgivable and pointless tragedy, yet he feels he's suffered more.'_ She thought to herself.

She contemplated going back to the boy and demanding he pay the speeding ticket that day out of his paycheck, but then sighed again. _'He would only be angrier, and us being in the same room when we're both angry is the last situation I want to be in right now.'_

"Hey sis, did the meeting go well?" Kira asked, standing by the door.

"How do you think? They made me sign the bill."

"I'm sorry, there's no way around it?" he asked.

"I don't think so. But I have to find a way around _them_ if I want to make things better for ORB. Shinn is a good enough example of what happens to people when their government betrays them. Not that he was betrayed by my father, but I'd rather not have others following in his footsteps because of me." She replied.

"I understand. He still has that grudge against you?"

"Yes, and he won't let up. He's so stubborn." She growled.

He chuckled. "Just like you."

She twitched and glared at him and he jumped, sweat dropping. "I'm kidding, you two are nothing alike." He said to save himself the wrath of Cagalli.

"We _are_ nothing alike. I mean, he's so annoying, and holds grudges, and disrespectful to authority so he can't take orders, he's stubborn of course, and….and…what are you looking at me like that for!" she said as she noticed Kira's sheepish expression.

"Well, some people think you're annoying, you may not hold grudges but you have the same short temper, you don't like authority either and are sometimes disrespectful to the council, you _are_ stubborn…um…well I have to speak with Athrun so bye!" he rushed as he ran down the hall.

A loud _thunk!_ resounded from the stapler she chucked at him as it bounced off the doorframe where he was standing.

A young officer poked his head around the corner. "Is something wrong ma'am?"

After seeing the expression on her face, he too ran down the hall.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. _'Damn, he's right.'_

* * *

Strangling sounds could be heard inside the workout room, and while this was normal, the scene being produced wasn't, hence the many gawkers standing outside when Cagalli came to investigate.

Shinn was strangling Rey shouting obscenities while Rey was laughing while trying to get out of his friend's clutches.

"What the hell is going on in here!" she shrieked.

Shinn turned on her and let go of Rey's neck, who continued laughing and glanced between the two.

"Nothing of your concern, we were just training." He said as he walked by.

She grabbed his arm as he passed. "What do you mean not of my concern? That wasn't training Shinn you were trying to strangle him!"

He narrowed his eyes and pulled at her grip. "We were training. Let go."

The gawkers at the large window stared with wide eyes at the standoff until Athrun started shooing them away. He stepped in gingerly to calm the situation.

Cagalli raised her eyebrows. "What did you say? That's it, you're suspended. Get out of here. I've had enough of your shit."

He pulled harder and his arm was released, he glared again, glanced at Rey who shrugged, and stormed out, brushing by Athrun on the way.

"Cagalli…"Athrun began but paused as Cagalli turned to glower at him. "You did the right thing."

She rolled her eyes and turned to Rey, "I know there was nothing serious going on, since you were laughing, but I had to step in for your safety. Shinn's anger is becoming a major issue, so you will be a witness when I take it to the council."

"Fine with me." He replied, rubbing his throat.

She turned to leave, Athrun already holding the door for her, when she stopped and looked back at him.

"By the way, if I may ask, why was he trying to strangle you?"

"Oh, he was just angry because I was teasing about him liking you." He answered nonchalantly.

"….."

"What?"

_Anger, a violent and fatal sin. Haughty eyes, being a false witness, stirring up dissension, and now "hands that shed innocent blood" are adding to the ensemble of those who dwell in Hell that will soon adorn you._

_While dealing with the consequences of your own wrath, be sure to stay far from the other three sins, or else your soul will pay the ultimate price._

* * *

**-Author's Note: Yay cliffy! Thankfully you won't be left hanging for long, since I'm writing all the chapters before I post them (and it's a short fic for once). Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Different states have different laws on speeding tickets and such, but I used 60 days since that seems to be the general amount of time.-**


	5. Chapter 5: Greed

**Chapter 5: Greed**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except any OCs I tend to throw in my fics.

* * *

"_By the way, if I may ask, why was he trying to strangle you?"_

"_Oh, he was just angry because I was teasing about him liking you." He answered nonchalantly._

"…_.."_

"_What!"_

Athrun was the first to recover from the shocking statement. "Rey, I hardly think your theory is correct."

Rey shrugged. "Don't you remember the old saying? When a guy bullies a girl it just means he likes her but doesn't want to admit it."

"Oh yes, that's just _so_ romantic." Cagalli replied sarcastically.

"Hey, it's not my fault he's a jerk to people he cares about. I'm practically his best friend and he just tried to strangle me." Rey replied in his normal monotonous voice and left.

"I think Shinn cut off some circulation to Rey's brain when he strangled him."

"Is he really suspended?"

"Of course! He's disobeyed too many orders and has now attacked a fellow coworker. 'Training' or not he needs to be disciplined." Cagalli told him. "Humph, and I thought the last meeting was a wake-up call for him." She grumbled as she walked past Athrun.

"How long are you going to suspend him? The longer he has to stew, the angrier he'll be at the whole situation." Athrun said.

"I don't know, I'll think of a time frame when I draw up the paperwork. I'll have to take it to the council since I can't seem to wipe my own ass without their approval, and they may make some changes as to the amount of time and such. As long as they agree he needs to be suspended I'll be happy." She answered.

"Yeah, it would look bad if you tell him he's suspended only for the council to disagree and have him back on Monday. You'll never hear the end of it from him, and he'll probably get worse." Athrun replied.

"Which is why I'm bringing Rey, Luna, and the speeding ticket."

"Luna? Why her? They won't accept her badmouthing of him."

"He was involved in an argument during work with her. I still have the written document for that. That's two incidents at work, not including the disrespect he's shown me lately. If you want I can even bring you in because he always steals your parking spot."

"That's not so big a deal, he only does it to annoy me and if I use that against him too he'd still win. Would they consider the speeding ticket something to suspend him for?"

"Probably, trouble in and out of the work place when he's military personnel. When we're not in a war we can still get in trouble for everyday activities like that. It keeps the typewriters busy."

"True." Athrun said and went silent.

They reached her office where she sat down and searched for the suspension papers.

"Why is there a stapler on the ground?" Athrun asked as he picked up the small black item.

"Oh…I threw it at Kira." She replied casually.

He gave her an odd look. "And you threw a stapler at him why?"

"He was comparing me to Shinn." She growled.

He raised his eyebrows but said nothing, placing the stapler back on her desk.

"I want to know why everyone seems so intent to think he likes me." She said and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well…it could be possible I guess. Look how he treats Luna."

She gave him a pointed look.

"And you two are kind of…alike…."

The pointed look turned into a glare.

"And I actually had this conversation with him earlier. It seems Rey has been bugging him about his little theory, because he exploded when I said that if he understood you better he'd like you more."

Still the glare.

"And he broke up with Luna…although I hear he's seeing Stellar…" Athrun said, ignoring Cagalli's angry looks as he actually thought about the situation.

"Athrun. There's no way that punk likes me. Even if the whole bully saying is true. Besides, if he liked me he would have tried to get in my pants by now. Plus Luna broke up with him, remember?"

"Well, he _has_ gotten fresh with you a few times, I mean come on, _we're_ supposed to be dating and _he's_ touched your boob! Twice!" Athrun exclaimed.

Cagalli's eye twitched. "Those were on accident. I didn't say there was no attraction; he likes anything that will talk to him. I just don't think he harbors any sort of _affection_ for me."

Athrun thought for a moment. "I suppose you're right. It's just odd. He was dating Luna and screwing her sister on the side, and now he has Stellar living with him, or at least she's stayed for a few days now. He's quite the Ladies' Man."

"And your point? He sounds like a greedy little kid who can't get enough toys."

"That may be it. Maybe he wants another toy…and that toy happens to be you."

"Oh please. Even if he did it would never happen."

"I know but that at least makes some sense."

Cagalli sighed. "Alright now shoo so I can get some work done."

He smiled and went back to his desk, contemplating this new information.

* * *

Shinn was fuming. He sped back to his apartment, thankfully not catching the attention of any more police. He slammed the door when he got home, making Stellar jump from her position on his couch.

"Shinn? Is something wrong? You're home early." She said and walked up to him.

He ripped the refrigerator door open and pulled out a beer. "Cagalli suspended me." He snarled.

She gasped. "What? Why?"

"Because she's a stupid whore, that's why. Rey pissed me off so I was dealing with him when she interfered, and when I told her we were just training she got pissed and suspended me! This week was horrible!" he exclaimed.

She looked saddened and put a hand on his back. "I'm sorry. Should I leave?" she asked.

He sighed and glanced at her, but he was in no mood for sex. He realized that he wanted nothing more to do with her.

"Yeah, thanks for hanging out, but I need some time to myself." He finally told her.

She nodded and gathered her things. They kissed when she left and she said to call her, but he knew he probably wouldn't for a while.

He slumped down on the couch and flipped through the channels, but nothing caught his interest. All he could think about was pounding the daylights out of Cagalli.

First, he lost his girlfriend. He had multiple confrontations with the blonde, that stupid meeting with the Chairman of PLANT and ZAFT General, Rey was getting on his case with his "You like Cagalli" theory, he got a speeding ticket when he's never gotten one before that he has to pay early because Cagalli meddled in his business yet again, and now he's suspended.

This was not his week.

He finally got up and checked the mail to find his paycheck had come in. He went down to the bank and then the police station to get the ticket out of the way. When he got home he tried to keep his mind busy from the rage he was feeling.

When it got late he heated up a TV dinner but ended up burning it, so it was useless. He snacked on some chips and drank a few more beers before deciding he was tired enough to sleep.

He scrounged around in his medicine cabinet for some Tylenol since the headache he got from being so mad earlier still hadn't gone away before laying down. While he missed having Stellar sleeping next to him, he was glad he had his full bed back so he could stretch and take up all the covers.

* * *

It was late by the time Cagalli got all the paperwork finished and the meeting set up. The council didn't want to wait until Monday so they scheduled it for later in the evening, which was fine by her.

She went by Rey and Luna's offices to let them know the meeting was about to start and led the way, paperwork in hand.

After telling them about the fight with Luna in the middle of work and the attack on Rey, plus the speeding ticket, they went to deliberate.

"I'm glad you finally suspended him. He was getting on my nerves, plus he was being so disrespectful to you. He should just be discharged from the military, he only joined because of the war and now he's taking out all his anger on everyone within yelling distance. It's like he didn't get all of it out when he was fighting." Luna said as she waited with Cagalli and Rey.

"He doesn't like doing deskwork. He liked fighting better because of the action. It's not his fault he's bored." Rey replied.

"But he needs to grow up. The war is over. If he doesn't like doing deskwork he can find another job more exciting for him." Cagalli said.

Luna nodded and Rey shrugged.

"Do you think they'll let you suspend him?" Luna finally asked.

"I hope so, we have enough evidence although there is more…" she began but trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked. Rey glanced at her and Cagalli but said nothing.

"Oh just other mishaps; being late all the time, hardly doing any work when he finally shows up, stealing Athrun's parking spot." Cagalli covered.

A lot of people knew or at least heard the rumor that Shinn and Meyrin were sleeping around, but no one wanted to burst Luna's bubble. Cagalli could have used that in front of the council, but decided against it. That was a low blow to deal.

"Oh, how come you didn't add them then?" she asked.

"Those are petty offenses; they'd think we were just trying to shove everything at them. But if I have to I'll add them in. I have a few papers showing dates when Shinn punched in late, but the laziness and parking spot issue can't really be proved. Plus Athrun didn't want me to bring it up." Cagalli told her.

"Shinn's as much a hassle to them as they are to you, they know he doesn't respect them and resents ORB as a whole, so they'll probably suspend him for the full thirty days." Rey said.

"As long as they suspend him, I don't care if it's just one day." Cagalli replied.

"Right, it'll teach him a lesson, or at least make him fix his act up a bit." Luna agreed.

"Representative Attha, we've reached a decision." A councilman said as he poked his head out of the room.

She nodded and glanced at the two beside her. They could only be in the meeting to state their evidence, so she went in alone.

"Based on the evidence provided, we have concluded that the correct course of action in the case of Shinn Asuka would be to suspend him for fifteen days with the warning that if similar or more serious offenses take place that the suspension be increased to sixty days. You, Representative Attha, are now charged to take the papers to Shinn Asuka since you were the one that brought the case to us. We expect you to take full responsibility for him and his actions from now on, since most of his offenses have to do with you." The lead councilman stated.

"But sir, he's the one that has a problem with me. He obviously has no respect for me." She replied. She wanted nowhere near Shinn Asuka anytime soon.

"Then you must make him respect you. We cannot do that for you. You are in charge of him. Dismissed." He replied and they all got up to leave.

She sighed and thanked them before leaving, taking the official papers with her.

"So what did they say?" Luna asked anxiously.

"He's suspended for fifteen days, and if he messes up again it's for sixty days. That's the good news." She said.

Rey furrowed his eyebrows. "What's the bad news?"

"I have to deliver the papers." She told them both.

"Why? Don't they have someone else do that?" Luna asked.

"Apparently I'm responsible for him so I have to notify him of his official suspension. But since he's banned from the property until his suspension is up I either have to meet him somewhere or go to his place. Honestly I don't want to be anywhere near him. That's why I suspended him in the first place!"

"Well at least they suspended him, even if it's only half the time you requested." Rey spoke up.

"True, although I figured they'd shorten it. A lot of people have been discharged or left after their tour of duty was up. We can't afford to lose more people nor have people out of the workforce for a long time." Cagalli told him.

"Well, good luck with giving him the news, I'll be sure to pay close attention to the headlines in case 'Representative Attha found in alley near Shinn Asuka's apartment' comes up." Rey snickered.

She glared at him. "I can just as easily have you suspended as well since you do as much work as he does." She warned.

"Hey, I was just saying." He said with his hands in surrender.

"You can both go home now; it's been a long week for all of us." She said and they nodded before leaving.

Athrun was waiting for her in the lobby, a cup of hot coffee in his hands. "So how did it go?"

"Suspended for fifteen days. I get the joyous job of telling him." She grumbled.

"At least they didn't totally undermine your authority and deny your request for his suspension. Do you want me to go with you for backup?" he asked.

"What? No! I don't need back-up, besides if he saw you he'd just get angrier."

"I was just offering my services." He said and winked.

"Sadly your career of being Alex Dino the bodyguard has officially ended. I already have enough people following me around for my safety. Although I liked it better when it was just you." She said and smiled back.

"Me too."

They shared a moment before getting in their cars and going their separate ways. Cagalli to her empty mansion, Athrun to his.

* * *

Shinn woke up and glanced at the clock. It was late in the afternoon. He sat up quickly and remembered it was a Saturday, and then he remembered that it didn't matter what day it was because he was suspended.

"Ugh!" he moaned and fell back in bed.

"I wonder what loser will deliver the papers." He said to himself and snorted.

He got up and got dressed, wondering what to do. Normally on a Saturday he went out and had some fun or just lazed around the house.

As he walked into the kitchen he noticed one of Stellar's shirts lying on the floor. He picked it up and thought of calling her, but he still didn't feel like talking to her.

He contemplated why all of a sudden he was bored with her. Sure he got bored with girls easily and had plenty of one-night stands, but this feeling came out of nowhere. He assumed it was just because he was on the rebound because of Luna, but when he thought of his ex-girlfriend, he didn't care she hadn't come crawling back anymore.

He liked Luna of course, but he wasn't bothered that they broke up anymore. He thought about hooking up with Meyrin again since he didn't have to hide it anymore, but the excitement was now gone.

One of the reasons they had their little affair was because they knew it was wrong, knew they could get caught any minute. Since he wasn't with Luna anymore, it wouldn't be as exciting if someone found out. Plus, all he ever wanted from her was sex, and he could have sex with a lot of girls at the moment if he wanted to.

But for once, he didn't want to just have sex.

Maybe he was just greedy. Maybe he wanted more, or something he couldn't have. Stellar got old, Luna's in the past, and Meyrin wasn't fun anymore.

He wanted more. He was getting tired of just having sex. He was tired of his boring job, tired of living in a small apartment, and tired of having no authority. He didn't have a lot of money, he had little respect, and not many friends.

He wanted more.

* * *

Cagalli woke up and groaned. She had to deliver those papers to Shinn.

She got up and looked at her calendar. It was Saturday.

She smiled. He could wait until Monday. The more time she can put off seeing him, the better.

She sighed. This wasn't the right approach to her situation, but Shinn was making it so difficult for her to like him!

'_Wait…did I just think that? Do I even _want_ to like Shinn?'_ she asked herself. _'Ugh, Rey's theory is the cause. I already discussed this with Athrun, there's no way he likes me and I certainly don't like him, even if he just wants a new toy to play with.'_

Despite her thoughts, she couldn't help remembering what Kira said. They _were_ a lot alike, but does that mean they could like each other? Just because they had a few personality traits in common doesn't mean they're a perfect match.

Besides, she had Athrun, a perfect gentleman. He was always kind to her, respected her, and cared about her. He was handsome, talented, and she could laugh around him. He made her feel so much better than anyone else did.

Whereas Shinn was a disrespectful brat. He never shied away from showing just how much he _didn't_ care for her, his thoughts about women were atrocious, he was reckless and dangerous, hardly did any work, and might have an STD.

'_Okay, maybe he's not _that_ bad, but he sure is annoying, I don't care how sexy he is!'_ she thought angrily.

She froze. _'What did I just think?'_

"Ugh! Curse you Rey, Kira, and Athrun! That's it, I swear off men!" she shouted.

A maid walked in as she was shouting and gasped. "Miss Cagalli? Are you alright?" she asked, stunned at the outburst.

Cagalli blushed. "Uh, sorry you had to hear that, it's been a bad week." She replied sheepishly.

* * *

Shinn decided he should have some fun while he was suspended, since he didn't have to work. He took the rest of his paycheck and some extra money before heading out the door.

As he got to his car, he contemplated calling Rey.

'_Why would I call him? He's the one that got me into this mess!'_ he thought to himself. But then he sighed, Rey was one of his few friends, and it wasn't as much fun by himself.

He dialed Rey's number and waited.

"_You still wanna strangle me?"_ was the answer.

Shinn smirked. "Nah, I'm over it."

"_Good, because I don't feel like going before the council again."_ His friend replied.

"What? Why'd you have to go before the council?"

"_So that Cagalli's request for your suspension could be approved or disapproved. You know they don't let her do anything without their approval."_

"Ha! So what'd they say?"

"_Unfortunately, you've officially been suspended for fifteen days. However…Cagalli gets to serve you the papers. Try not to kill her alright? They don't give me enough money to bail you out of jail."_

"Are you serious! Fifteen days!"

"_Hey, she was pushing for thirty. It comes with a warning that if you mess up again it will be for the full sixty days. Consider yourself lucky, they hate her as much as you do."_

"Well, her bringing the papers should be…interesting. How did she manage to get them to agree to the suspension?"

"_She brought me and Luna to produce evidence that you were 'behaving inappropriately in the work place', she said she could have brought in more but that it would be pushing it. Stuff like you being late and stealing Athrun's parking spot all the time."_

"Tch, of course she would bring Luna in. I'm surprised she didn't add the other stuff though; she's so desperate to get rid of me."

"_Who knows, but…I think she knows about you and Meyrin. She almost slipped in front of Luna."_

"How does everyone seem to know about that? Oh well, it doesn't matter anymore, me and Luna aren't dating so the effect isn't there. Stellar's gone too; I came home pissed and really didn't want her around. There goes that."

"_Really now? Is it because you have someone else in mind that you'd rather share your bed with?" _Rey pushed, a grin in his voice.

"Don't start Rey, now of all times the last person I want to see is Cagalli Ula Attha."

Rey chuckled. _"I told her and Athrun my theory, neither of them believed me, so I think you're safe."_

"What! What the hell Rey! Maybe I _will_ finish what I started with you yesterday!" Shinn burst.

Rey laughed this time. _"Oh come on, now she'll have time to think it over, who knows, maybe she'll start to fall for you. I set you on the right path, Shinn; your dream girl is getting closer every day."_ He said and continued laughing maniacally.

"Rey, you are dead. Now she's going to actually _believe_ I like her when I don't! What if she says something when she brings the papers? You and your mouth got me into this whole disturbing situation!"

"_Hey, you couldn't admit it to yourself before, now you'll have to if she starts believing the facts."_

"What facts? There are no facts. You're just annoying."

"_Uh, you've gotten closer to her than her own boyfriend, you always cause problems for her, you only went along with being Luna's boyfriend because you had nothing else better to do, you only slept with Meyrin because of the danger of being caught, and Stellar was just a few wild nights on the rebound. You haven't been satisfied with any girl you've ever been with, and I think it's because you haven't found the right one."_

"But why do you think it's Cagalli?"

There was a pause. _"Well, you're a lot alike, she's not high maintenance, she's your arch rival's girlfriend, and you two already bicker like an old married couple."_

"I still don't think that's enough to prove she's 'the one'."

"_You're attracted to her aren't you?"_

"No." Shinn lied.

"_Um, you do realize Stellar looks exactly like her, right? Do you need glasses?"_

"Stellar looks nothing like her! We already had this conversation!"

"_Just quit denying it Shinn. We did already have this conversation and you know I'm right, so get over it and do something about it. Do I have to do everything for you?"_

"No, you don't have to do anything! Look, the reason I called was because I wanna go gambling and I figured I could drag you along and spend your paycheck first. But now I don't think you can handle not bugging me about a wild theory. If you quit talking about Cagalli, I might let you come anyway."

"_Okay, okay, but you better tap that when she comes, or at least spill forth your heartfelt feelings for her or I'll make you."_ Rey warned.

"You are such a weirdo Rey." Shinn said. They set up a place and then Shinn headed out, checking his mirrors for red and blue lights.

He arrived at the casino and spotted Rey, he gave him a warning look to which Rey held up his hands in surrender and so they went inside.

They used some of Rey's paycheck first, mostly because he never spent it on anything. Shinn caught a lot of girls' eyes, but instead of taking advantage he ignored them. Rey noticed this but didn't comment, not wanting to sour Shinn's mood even more. Hey, they were there to have fun!

At first Shinn was careful with the money he earned, not taking too many chances or risks, but after he made a substantial amount he went for more.

"Hey, I think we should try something else. You've won the pot a few times now; your luck is beginning to run out." Rey told him.

"Nah, my luck is just beginning. I pulverized those losers last round, I can do it again." Shinn replied.

"Well when you lose big don't get mad when I say I told you so."

"Oh relax Rey, hook up with one of those girls or something if you don't want to gamble anymore."

"I think those girls are only interested in you, my friend."

"Then hook up with the guys."

Rey's expression actually changed for once as his eyes went wide. Shinn laughed until tears started forming.

"I'm not gay." Rey growled.

"Hey I wasn't sure. I haven't seen you with a lot of girls. Besides, that comment about me being such a hunk…" Shinn chuckled and shrugged.

"Just because I'm not a manwhore doesn't mean I'm gay, Shinn." Rey said through clenched teeth.

"Woah now! I am _not_ a manwhore!" Shinn exclaimed.

Rey raised an eyebrow.

"Okay so maybe I am. Just go…do something while I win more money."

Rey sighed and rolled his eyes before leaving the poker table. After chatting up a few girls and finding out they were solely interested in his friend like he thought, he looked over to see Shinn lose all the money he had just won. He smirked and sauntered over to his friend who was still shocked he'd lost.

"I told you so."

"Damn it Rey! Why do you always have to ruin my luck?"

"I said not to get mad. You didn't want to take my advice."

Shinn growled and got up, heading over to the bar. Some of the girls batted their eyelashes, but after seeing he clearly wanted nothing to do with them, they pouted and left to find someone else.

"Shinn, I think you're coming down with a case of gotta-have-that-Cagalli." Rey commented.

Shinn glared at him. "I told you not to bring her up again."

"No, you said if I quit talking about her you'd let me come. You didn't say anything about when we got here." Rey replied.

"Smartass." Shinn grumbled.

"Look, normally you'd be all over those girls, but you barely gave them a second glance. You haven't tried to get back with Luna, you've lost interest in Meyrin because the danger is gone, and you sent Stellar away last night."

"Maybe I want a break from women, have you considered that?"

"Shinn, let's face it, you love women, or at least the thought of them. Or maybe now it's down to one woman."

"Okay you know what, if I admit I may like Cagalli will you get off my case?" Shinn asked, at his wits end.

"Maybe. But then I'd just make you do something about it."

Shinn sighed loudly. "You're ruining my fun."

"You're not satisfied with what you have, clearly you want more."

"So I'm greedy, that doesn't mean I have to start dating Cagalli."

"You're right; it means you _want_ to start dating Cagalli."

"What I want is to be surrounded by hot women in a huge mansion with expensive cars and gadgets, just like any other guy."

"Cagalli has a huge mansion, and she's hot. She has some maids too. She's rich enough you can get whatever pricey toys you want. But you still won't be satisfied until you have her. Who knows, maybe you still won't be satisfied, but it seems right now that's the direction life is pulling you."

"So if I ask her out _you'll_ be satisfied." Shinn asked.

"Are you being serious or just saying that to get me to shut up?" Rey asked expectantly.

"….both."

"Then I suppose I could be happy. If she says no then you're just destined to always want what you can't have, but if she says yes then maybe things will start going right for you."

"Argh, you irritate me. Why are we friends again?"

"Because I put up with you."

"That doesn't mean I have to put up with you." Shinn mumbled.

He played the slots and other game tables until he made a little bit of money, although it wasn't as much as he had before. After spending all they had and remembering he needed to save a little bit so he could get food and pay the bills they left.

"See you when you're back from suspension." Rey called.

"You better sleep with one eye open Rey, I might decide to continue strangling you while you sleep." Shinn called back.

"Well I'd say you'd be in for a surprise if you ended up on my bed, strangling me or not, but I'm not gay." Rey responded.

"Sure you're not. Maybe my revenge will be to make you admit your true sexual orientation." Shinn joked.

"I'll slit your throat." Rey replied in such a serious tone Shinn thought he meant it.

He sweat dropped as Rey got in his car, but figured his friend was just being…himself.

He finally returned home and sighed, staring up at his tiny apartment and wishing he had more.

_You can't always get what you want, Shinn, and being greedy only leads to disappointment. Now with haughty eyes, false witnessing, stirring up dissension, hands that shed innocent blood, and "a heart that devices wicked schemes", your path to the fiery pits is almost complete._

_Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it, and it may not be what you thought you wanted. Only two more chances await you before your fate spells out your doom._

* * *

**-Author's Note: Only two or three more chapters left before the conclusion. The chilling statement above doesn't bode well for Shinn; will Cagalli be able to turn his life around before it's too late? Please review and tell me what you think, questions, comments, etc. are always welcome. Flames will be juggled and thrown back because I'm a pyromaniac (that kinda rhymes…).-**


	6. Chapter 6: Sloth

**Chapter 6: Sloth**

**Disclaimer:**** I only own any OCs I happen to throw in.**

* * *

Shinn watched some TV, not quite tired yet, until he realized nothing good was on. After acknowledging there wasn't much he wanted to do or was in the mood for he decided to call it a night.

He trudged into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, then plopped down on his bed, not bothering to change clothes. He knew he should check his money supply and see where he was at after the splurge at the casino, but he didn't have the desire.

'_I'll do it tomorrow.'_ He told himself. He started to drift off to sleep, a blond tomboy on his mind.

The next day was Sunday, and Shinn slept in until late afternoon. He assumed Cagalli would wait until Monday to deliver his suspension papers, since they technically didn't take effect until the next workday. He tossed and turned, staying in bed as long as he could manage before his growling stomach made him get up in search of breakfast.

He went into the kitchen to assess his options. The more he looked around, the less he wanted to make anything. His stomach lurched, growling as he scowled down at it. He sighed and threw on some fresh clothes, brushing his teeth and rubbing his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow at the mirror, but decided he didn't always have to look sexy whenever he went out. Besides, it was just for breakfast.

He opened his wallet and grimaced, apparently he had spent more money than he would have liked the other day at the casino. However, with his stomach going haywire and the thought of preparing food taking forever, he decided he had enough to run by a fast food joint.

'_Stupid greed. Why do I always want more? Why can't I just be satisfied? I'm gonna end up homeless if I keep this up.'_ He thought to himself as he drove.

He went to a drive-through and picked up a greasy meal, already eating it as he drove home. He wolfed it down quickly and went to throw the bag away when he noticed the garbage can was full. He stuffed it down anyway, not wanting to mess with it.

He tripped on another shirt as he made his way to the couch and cursed. He surveyed his apartment and noted it needed to be cleaned up, but the TV was more alluring.

As he flipped through the channels, he knew he had stuff to do around the house. He had to wash the dishes, do laundry, empty the trash, and clean the house. However, his muscles refused to do anything but press the buttons on the remote control.

'_I'll do it tomorrow, before Cagalli comes.'_ He thought. He furrowed his brows. _'Why would I care what she thinks about my place? If she thinks it's a mess that's her problem, she has maids to clean up around her huge mansion while she frolics around with Athrun.'_

He kept flipping through the channels because the only thing that seemed to be on was romantic movies and shows. He wanted to watch something with action, or something funny. Every channel seemed to have some kind of love theme. Bachelors and bachelorettes, rock stars and celebrities looking for love on reality shows, romantic movies, soap operas, and moral stories.

He sighed and gave up. He had some gaming systems set up with plenty of action games to go along with them, so he decided he'd try to beat the ones he was far along in.

After spending a few hours and only getting angrier, he gave up and wondered what to do next. His overflowing laundry basket practically screamed at him, but he ignored it. He was on suspension; he might as well have fun before he had to go back to work. Besides, it was the weekend, he wasn't supposed to do any housework on the weekends, he was supposed to enjoy the two days he _wasn't_ working.

After contemplating his options, he decided to head out to the beach. He normally didn't go alone, however, and so thought about who he could bring with him. Usually he'd call up Luna and tell her to wear a skimpy bathing suit, or sometimes Meyrin when Luna wasn't up to doing anything.

Both girls were out.

He practically threw Stellar out, and asking her to come to the beach with him would only send mixed signals. Besides, he didn't want to listen to her talk in the third person about what could be bothering him.

Stellar was out.

He didn't even think about asking Rey because one, he was suspicious his friend might actually be gay, two, he would only talk about Cagalli the whole time, and three, Rey wasn't the beach type anyway, and it wouldn't be fun if they just sat there.

Rey was out.

"Ugh, I wish I had cooler friends." He grumbled to himself. He didn't want to go alone, but he didn't really want company either. No whining babes and boring friends, but then what did that leave him with?

He didn't have anyone else to hang out with, he couldn't stand Zala or Kira, Cagalli was definitely out of the question, and he didn't bother getting to know anyone else. He had a few acquaintances, but no one else to drag to the beach.

'_Well, there goes that.'_ He thought. He glanced at the clock; it was late in the day. He had wasted time flipping through channels and playing video games, so now there wasn't much he could do to have fun.

He slumped down on the couch again. He had a few movies, he could probably pop one in. His stomach growled again and he groaned. He didn't feel like making dinner and was out of the quick and easy meals he usually ate. He decided to head out again to get some dinner and then hit the bar. Maybe he would find what he was looking for.

He went to the normal restaurant he liked and ate his fill, only tipping below ten percent because he was running low on funds. He headed over to the usual bar and ordered a beer. It had been a few days since he'd come, but there was nothing new.

A few girls were eyeing him, but he didn't have any interest in them. He wondered why all of a sudden he felt so empty, but couldn't find anything to fill him back up. He blamed Rey for bothering him so much about Cagalli.

So what if he liked the blonde? She was clearly out of his league, which pissed him off even more. As much as the tomboy didn't like to admit it, she was high class and could only date high class. Athrun was a perfect choice because he was the son of a former chairman and one of the top ranked ZAFT soldiers.

Shinn was just a ZAFT Elite, it gave him some status, even a shot at being a commander, but there was no war going on. He had no ties to government or politics, and he had no interest in either. There was nowhere to go because nobody wanted to start another war, and he didn't dare ruin that peace just because he was bored.

Besides, even though they had a lot in common, she wasn't his type. He dated hot chicks that he could ignore while only pretending to listen as they gabbed about their day or anything new. He would get them a few gifts which bought him some sex, and someone to drag around when he felt like doing something else. When he was bored, he dumped them. On the side he usually had casual sex with any female who would hook up with him that was hot enough to risk getting caught with. There was never real interest or feelings; the deepest he ever got was with Luna.

And now she was history. He finally pissed her off enough that she wanted nothing to do with him. Normally when they broke up she would come crawling back or he'd decide she suffered enough. It was an on-and-off relationship, but he imagined it would have lasted a bit longer than this.

Stellar wasn't really a relationship either, she was more a spur-of-the-moment, caught-in-the-action fling. He didn't want to date her because she was too high maintenance, plus she got annoying after talking in third person long enough. And of course Meyrin was nothing, because she had the hots for Athrun.

So now he didn't have a chick in the wings.

Or did he?

Was what Rey said true? Was he using Meyrin just like she was using him? Did he have the hots for Athrun's girl, just like she had the hots for Cagalli's man?

He didn't like to think he had a crush on Cagalli. He had plenty of reasons why, she really wasn't his usual date, she was an authority figure (his boss, really), they argued too much, and he still held a grudge against her family.

He knew he could rationalize through all his reasons, but he wanted to hold on to some anger, some part of him in the past. He lost his family; his parents and little sister, he didn't want to lose himself as well.

While the thought was a bit exaggerated, he figured that if he let go of his anger and rage he would let go of himself and would be something completely different. He thought that he would lose whatever ties to his dead family he had left.

When he was angry, it was because of what happened to them, and he felt connected to them. He used that rage to fight which gave him an excuse to fuel his rage even more. If he let go, if he forgave, he would have no more excuses. He would have nothing. He was clinging to his anger because it was all he had left of his former life, with his family and friends before the war. He didn't know what he would do without it.

It was stupid and childish, but it was true. He knew he couldn't be angry forever. He knew he had to grow up and be mature one day. But he was afraid.

He clenched the glass of beer tightly, fighting the urge to fling it across the bar. He wanted to get in a fight, but knew it would solve nothing. He had nothing to do with his rage now, no war to use as an excuse to have it. What would be the harm in letting it go? He couldn't use it anymore; it was only causing him more problems anyway.

Why not forgive and forget?

"Hey stud, why are you sitting here all alone? Your girlfriend break up with you or something?" a girl asked as she slid onto the seat next to him.

He hesitated, but didn't want any casual sex tonight.

"No, I just wanted a night to myself." He said, hoping that would give her the hint to leave him alone.

She pouted but persisted. "Aw c'mon, you look a bit down. I could cheer you up." She drawled slyly.

"No thanks, I'm fine." He replied.

She frowned. "Hey, I see you in here all the time with a new chick. The one opening I get I take it, and now what? You've decided you're gay?"

His eyes widened. "I'm not gay. I'm just not in the mood right now."

He was surprised she was pushing so hard, even when he knew he didn't look his best. Did women like him _that_ much?

"Not in the mood? But you're always in the mood! Look, my man won't put out, and some of my friends have been with you and told some great stories, so I figured we could help each other out here. It's just my luck the one time I offer you're 'not in the mood'." She grumbled.

"W-what?" he was stunned. So it was just sex she wanted. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a woman wanted to use him for sex instead of the other way around. He felt like a manwhore because of her words, and it stung.

"Whatever, I can see you're not on game tonight, I'll find someone else." She spat and left.

His eyes were wide but then he shook himself. _'That was…different. It's never happened like that before.'_ He thought. He realized how his life had become, all the one-night stands and flings. Using people and taking out his rage on anyone close enough. He shuddered. He felt like an animal.

'_Maybe I really do need to change. I've made some pretty bad decisions, and now look at the mess I'm in. I lost my girlfriend, am about to lose my job, have almost no money left, and I keep pushing people away, people that could help me.' _He wondered.

'_But I don't know what to do. How do I completely change myself? Am I really that bad? Maybe I just need to work on a few things, like my anger and how I treat women. But I can't just change all of a sudden. It takes time. I really don't feel like changing just yet. I'll wait and talk to Rey and maybe even Luna when I get back to work. There's no point changing right now, with no one to see.'_ He decided.

He would wait, he would enjoy his suspension as much as he could and maybe talk to his friends about his attitude and any adjustments he could make. He was too lazy to start now, especially after the rut he put himself into. He would climb out of his hole some other day, when he was ready.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

_Tsk, tsk. It seems your downward spiral is increasing in speed. Starting with pride, following into lust, after which turning to envy, then anger, coming to greed, and now sloth. Your "lying tongue" is now added to the wardrobe of the fallen, which needs only one final piece._

_With these torrid emotions raging throughout your mind, your body has become corrupted. You have one more chance, Shinn Asuka. One more chance until there is no way to ever change. Your destiny awaits._

* * *

**-Author's Note: Our poor young hero is falling to the depths, yet he has one more chance. Can Cagalli rescue him in time before it is too late? This chappy is rather short, but I hope the laziness gets across well enough. It's not just physically, it's emotionally as well. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think. Only one more chapter, maybe two if I feel up to it, left of Sin and Shinn, so stay tuned!-**


	7. Chapter 7: Gluttony

**Chapter 7: Gluttony**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing except a concept. The Seven Deadly Sins are loosely related to the Bible, and Gundam Seed Destiny belongs to its creators.**

**

* * *

**

When Shinn got home he had a pounding headache so he rummaged through the medicine cabinet for more Tylenol. He still had a buzz from the alcohol, but the throbbing in his forehead wouldn't go away. He stuffed a few pills in his mouth and passed out across his bed.

_Your fate has been sealed, Shinn Asuka. Your feet have quickly rushed into evil by committing the final sin of Gluttony._

* * *

Cagalli sighed. Today was the day.

Monday.

She trudged around the house while getting ready, trying to stall before she had to deliver the suspension papers to Shinn. She kept glancing at the clock, pushing until the last minute to leave.

She knew where Shinn lived, because it was on file in case anything ever happened, or when they needed to mail him something. She thought about meeting him someplace public, but then chastised herself for being so wimpy.

She could take care of herself when it came to Shinn Asuka.

She drove alone, despite everyone recommending she go with her usual entourage. This was something she had to do by herself.

She parked in front of his building and wondered whether he was awake or not. She quickly got out her cell phone and checked the documents to find his home number. This would stall for more time, at least she hoped.

She wasn't sure why she didn't want to confront him. She always threw herself in danger, never caring about the consequences. Was she afraid? Was she nervous? Why?

She thought about all the conversations she's had about Shinn, Rey's little theory, and Kira and Athrun's comments. Were they right?

She frowned, her finger close to the call button.

Did she like Shinn?

'_There's no way I like him.'_ She thought.

Was it doubt that made her hesitate?

'_I'm sure I don't like him.'_ She thought again.

Then why can't she just get it over with?

Her expression became determined and she pressed the call button before she could go back. She waited as the phone rang.

And waited.

'_Maybe he's still sleeping. Crap, I don't want to wake him up like this! He'll be pissed!' _she said top herself. _'Wait, why should I care? All I'm doing is dropping off the papers and telling him he's officially suspended, he'll already be pissed.'_

His voicemail picked up, and she contemplated leaving a message. She glanced at the time, she had to go in now or be late for work. She couldn't delay any more; the council wanted her to deliver the papers before work so he wouldn't stumble in unaware.

She ended the call and got out of her car, the envelope tucked under her arm. She put on her Representative look and strode toward his door. She knocked to be polite. She wasn't about to be late just because he was in a bad mood and didn't want to be social.

After a few minutes she knocked again, louder this time, trying to remain calm. _'He's doing this on purpose, I bet. Just to taunt me.'_ She thought angrily.

"He might have a hangover." She heard someone say.

She turned to the neighbor who had come out of the house, it was an older woman.

"Excuse me?" Cagalli asked, not sure if the woman was talking to her or not.

"The young man who lives in that apartment, he might be sleeping off a hangover. He came home drunk as a skunk late last night." She replied.

"Oh, thank you. I have to give him something though, I'm sorry if I disturbed you." Cagalli replied.

"That's alright dear. You know, I've seen a lot of women come and go through that door, but I think you're special. I think you're the one." She remarked.

"What? Oh, no, we're not dating. I'm his boss." Cagalli quickly said.

The older woman smiled and winked. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone." She said and went back inside.

'_He has strange neighbors.'_ She thought. She looked at her watch and bit back a groan. She would be late if she didn't get going soon.

She knocked again and then reached for the handle; it turned and opened with ease.

'_That's odd.'_ She thought and peeked in. The living room was a bit messy, but she didn't see Shinn anywhere.

"Shinn! It's me Cagalli, if you're hiding with a gun you can come out now, I'm just delivering papers!" she called. She figured that would get his attention, but there was only silence from the apartment.

"I'm coming inside!" she warned and stepped inside. She looked around and walked further into the apartment.

"You should really clean up in here, this place is a mess." She said. Panic started to blossom, he should be responding, sleeping or not. How can he just sleep when someone was walking around in his apartment, and calling out no less?

'_She said he may have a hangover, but he should have awoken by now after all the noise I'm making. Maybe he left again?'_ she thought.

She checked every room, saving what she assumed to be his for last. She sighed and pushed open the door.

He was lying across the bed, atop the sheets and fully clothed face down, passed out.

She inched closer. This was dangerous; she shouldn't have even come inside, at least not without him letting her in.

"Shinn?"

She poked him on the back, and then shook him. "Wake up you lazy…" she began but trailed off. There was silence. Complete silence. She leaned in closer.

He wasn't breathing.

She gasped and flipped him over, checking his pulse. His heart wasn't beating.

"Shit!" she exclaimed and began CPR. She didn't think as she pumped his chest and blew into his mouth, trying to restore his breathing. She hoped she wasn't too late.

No matter how she felt romantically towards Shinn, she couldn't let him die; she didn't want him to die.

"Come on Shinn, please…"

He started coughing and she sighed in relief. His eyes flew open and he started moving around.

"Um, are you alright?" she asked, suddenly realizing the awkward situation she was in.

"What…" he began and glanced around. His eyes locked on hers.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to sit up. He winced and she automatically put her hands around him to ease him back down.

"Um, the door wasn't locked. I called; I even knocked a few times. Your neighbor came out, she said you might have a hangover, but I needed to give you the papers before going into work and," she paused and checked her watch. "And now I'm late." She groaned.

"But…why are you on my bed?"

She blushed and scooted off, smoothing her skirt down. She didn't often wear skirts, but decided today to put one on. He was eyeing her strangely, and she wondered whether he saw anything.

"Uh, are you…are you okay? What happened? You weren't…you weren't breathing." She stammered.

"I wasn't?" he asked, confused. He looked around and glanced down at his clothes. He got up slowly and then walked to his bathroom. The medicine cabinet was still open, and the bottle of Tylenol was still sitting on the counter.

"I must have took some Tylenol, maybe too many pills." He mumbled to himself. He didn't realize she followed him.

"You took Tylenol after getting drunk? What are you insane? You could have killed yourself!" she shrieked. "You almost _did_ kill yourself! If I wasn't here to-," she stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

His eyes were wide. "I guess I didn't…I forgot. I remember having a really bad headache, so I took some Tylenol. I wasn't thinking about the alcohol." He said.

He turned to her, unsure of what to say. "Um, thanks." He managed to get out.

She blushed more. "You need to go to the hospital, all I did was resuscitate you." She told him.

"I don't think…I mean, I'm fine." He answered.

"Shinn, you had no pulse and you weren't breathing. You could have died if I hadn't come in time, or not at all."

He opened his mouth, then closed it. "You're right." He whispered.

"Here, let me take you, you shouldn't drive." She offered.

"I thought you were late for work."

She looked at her watch again. "Well, I'll explain when I get there. I can't leave you in this state."

"I didn't know you cared." He said, and then regretted the words.

"I…I guess I do." She replied.

His eyes widened. "What?"

She blushed again. "Look, let's just get you to the hospital."

"What about the suspension papers?"

"When the doctors say you're alright I'll give them to you."

They got in her car and she drove towards the hospital, not saying anything.

"So uh, you care about me?" Shinn asked, unable to forget her statement.

"I…well I didn't want you to die!" she replied, trying to get off the subject. She knew this was dangerous territory, especially with Kira, Rey, and Athrun's words resounding within her mind.

Shinn remembered Rey's words, and what they talked about Saturday. He had promised Rey that he'd ask Cagalli out, or at least admit his feelings. He didn't intend on fulfilling that promise, but if Cagalli felt the same…

"You know, you don't have to take me to the hospital. You didn't even have to resuscitate me. You could have just let me die, saved yourself some trouble." He said, trying to bait her in.

"What? No way! You're my responsibility, how could you say something like that?" she asked. "Wait, were you trying to commit suicide?"

"No, my life is shitty but not that shitty! So what, you're only doing this because you're my boss?" he asked, the sting of rejection making him angry.

"Well, no, that's not…I mean…even if I wasn't I still couldn't let you die. I'm not heartless." She replied, but not as angrily as he would have thought.

"It's not like I can tell whether you have a heart." He mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Do you like me?" he blurted. He tried to keep a straight face as he looked at her, gauging her reaction.

"Do I…huh?" she replied, shocked.

He just continued looking at her.

She thought about it for a moment. She thought about her panic and concern when she thought Shinn was dead or dying. Was that just because she's human? Was there something more?

She was thinking about her feelings for Shinn on the way here. She couldn't tell, or she could, but didn't want to admit it.

"What about you? Do _you_ like _me_?" she countered.

"Hey! I asked you first." He spluttered.

"Well I want to know the same thing, so spit it out. Rey said you liked me, I was just wondering if it's true, besides, why would you ask me that?" she said.

"Because! Just answer the question."

"You answer the question!"

"Fine, maybe I do, alright?" he finally said. He blushed and looked away, crossing his arms.

She blushed as well. "Okay, so I might return the feeling." She said after a moment. They had arrived at the hospital.

"What?" he asked, incredulous. She got out of the car and he scrambled out as well.

"Well…I blame those men! Rey and his silly theory, and then Athrun started to agree with him! Kira kept saying how alike we are, it's like everyone is trying to point it out like it's obvious or something! I mean, you irritate me sometimes, and Rey thinks you bully me all the time because you like me, and-," she was cut off because Shinn suddenly kissed her.

They broke apart, both staring at each other wide-eyed.

"Why did you…?" she asked, confused.

They were still close, he had his arms still wrapped around her.

"I-I'm sorry I guess I just…" he trailed off and kissed her again, but this time lasted longer.

When they broke apart this time, Shinn smirked and Cagalli blushed, but smiled.

"We should get you in, you're still not stable." She said.

"I feel pretty good, maybe we should head back to my place." Shinn replied slyly.

"Shinn…I'm your boss." She whispered, glancing around the parking lot for onlookers.

He scowled. "Must you always point that out?"

"Well it's true." She muttered.

He continued to scowl. She nudged him toward the Hospital and he let her drag him in. His hand slipped closer to hers and curled between her fingers, she blushed more but returned the gesture.

As they were walking down the hall, holding hands, they passed a man sitting in the waiting area, a newspaper in front of his face.

He lowered the paper and glanced at the two entwined hands.

"_Congratulations, Shinn Asuka, your love has saved you. Let this be a warning to you, lest you wander down the dark path again. Your suit of armor made for Hell may be complete, but you still have the chance to take off that armor, and replace it with the armor of Christ._

"_Your destiny has been made, now you must choose to take it." _Rey said as he set the newspaper aside. He stood and walked towards the door, unfurling his shining white wings.

* * *

**-Author's Note: Didn't see that coming, now did ya? This is the end of this fic; however, I will give you guys a chance to vote on a sequel, where Shinn redeems himself for his Seven Deadly Sins. Thanks in advance to all reviewers (I wrote all this down before posting, so you guys wouldn't have to wait months between updates). **

**To explain Rey: We all know Rey actually died in Gundam Seed Destiny. As I wrote this fic (with Rey being alive) I realized that the voice at the end of each chapter needed a character to it, and what better than to have Rey actually be an angel guiding his friend through the turmoil of his life. Rey actually **_**did**_** die in this fic, but came back as an angel because he knew Shinn needed help. No one realized that he was actually dead, because he continued acting normal. This also helps explain why Rey was pushing Shinn towards Cagalli so much, and why everyone seemed to agree with him.**

**Hope you liked it, please review and tell me what you think, remember there's an opening for a sequel, and so let me know your ideas! Peace-**


End file.
